If you are lucky enough to have your own garden you can enjoy it even more by encouraging wildlife into it. The intention should not be to make the wild creatures tame but to gain pleasure from observing them about their daily lives.
You are more likely to get wildlife in a garden where there are plants and trees and pesticides are not in use. Having a pond is also a great idea as you will attract frogs and aquatic insects as well as providing a valuable water supply for other animals.
Compost heaps are commonly used by hedgehogs as shelter and they also attract insects which in turn provide food for birds.
Rabbits make great pets but can suffer from health problems as any animal can. Below you will find details of some of the more common rabbit health problems and ways to deal with them.
Overgrown Incisors
Rabbits front teeth never stop growing which is ok for wild rabbits but can cause a big problem for pet rabbits. In order to keep the teeth in good shape, gnawing blocks such as logs with ark on and hard food such as root vegetable should be provided.
Overgrown Claws
Wild rabbit claws are kept worn down by digging and burrowing. Cage kept rabbits don’t often have this luxury so claws can be kept in trim by clipping them. It’s not difficult but some people may prefer to use a vet for this procedure.
Obesity
Rabbits can become very overweight if they are kept in confined spaces and/or fed the wrong diet. Fat rabbits should be given as much room as possible to roam and exercise.
Bengal Cats are a fairly new breed and were originally bred by crossing an Asian Leopard Cat with a domestic cat. Bengals have a wild appearance but have a domestic temperament.
The conformation of a Bengal is similar to normal domestic cats but their legs and back are longer. They have small heads, short muzzles and large eyes. They weight from 3 to 7 kilos with the males generally being heavier than females.
There are ten sub species of Bengal with variations in colour which is often influenced by the geographical origin of the cat.
The beautiful coat and markings can unfortunately draw the attention of the fur trade.
Puppy farms are like factories for producing dogs and are run for profit only. The dogs are treated as commodities and are often unhealthy, bred from more than they should be and can live in terrible conditions.
The pups are usually removed from their mothers far too early which can leave them traumatized. They are shipped around the country by rail or in trucks and sent to dealers or pet shops. Many pups don’t survive the experience and those that do often have health or temperament problems.
If you love dogs then please don’t buy one from a puppy farm as they can only survive if there is a demand. Pet shops should also be avoided as it is likely that their pups have also originated at a puppy farm.
Feeding wild birds can bring you great pleasure as well as providing a valuable source of nutrition for our feather friends.
The main time to put food in the garden is in the winter when food is scarce. Many birds migrate to warmer climates but the ones that remain have to compete for food with birds that come to the UK from more northern countries than our own.
Suitable feed for wild birds would include fruit, nuts and seeds, leftovers including rice and cakes. You can feed bread but it should be soaked as dry bread swells in the bird’s stomach.
Chickens can make great pets with the obvious bonus of providing you with your breakfast eggs. If you are thinking of buying some then our handy guide will help you decide.
How big should the hen house be? – It is said that you should allow one square foot per chicken so a chicken shed of 4’ x 4’ should in theory hold 16 chickens.
Do chickens need nest boxes? – You can provide nest boxes in the hen house but chickens are prone to laying wherever they feel like it. This could literally be anywhere!
How big should the chicken run be? – Four chickens should have a minimum of a 6’ x 3’ run but the more space you can give them the better.
Do chickens feel the cold? – Chickens can normally keep themselves warm by fluffing up their feathers or perching close to other chickens. If you take in battery chickens they may need some time for their feathers to recover.
If you see your cat scratching or biting its fur it could be that it is suffering from a flea infestation.
Sometimes you can see the fleas if you run a fine toothed metal comb through the fur but often they are hard to spot. Cats can show signs of having fleas but by the time you check their coats the cat has groomed them out itself.
To do a flea check on your cat sit it on a large piece of white paper then rub its fur vigorously. Any flea faeces should drop out onto the paper.
Remove any fur from the paper then dab the contents with a damp cotton wool ball. Any flea faeces should dissolve and turn red. If this happens then your cat has definitely had contact with fleas and should be treated for them.
Many little girls beg for a pony from their parents. After being given the book, Black Beauty, for Christmas when I was seven I dreamed of nothing else.
I was so desperate that I would come home from school and fantasize that one would be stood on the drive waiting for me when I got home. I left no opportunity unturned to make it clear to my parents how much I needed a horse.
I would browse horses for sale in the local papers and dream about going to view them. I didn’t have anywhere to keep one but that didn’t purturb me.
I often left little notes around the house saying that if I had a pony I wouldn’t expect a birthday or Christmas present ever again!
I eventually got my pony at the age of twenty nine. I had to buy my own of course. Unfortunately I no longer own him but I do still browse horses for sale websites just to keep an eye on the market.
Snakes are fascinating creatures and can make great pets but there are some considerations to be made before you commit to owing one.
Snakes can live for a very long time, often over twenty years so be prepared for a long term commitment.
Make sure you are willing to feed prey to your snake. Some food such as rodents are already dead and pre frozen but there are live options to consider such as bugs.
Ensure that your snake tank (vivarium) is escape proof. Snakes are persistent and will look for any small gaps which to squeeze through.
For your first snake don’t buy something large or venomous. Something like a grass snake would be a perfect choice.
Pages and pages have been written about how to make burglar proof you home but have you ever thought on how to rabbit proof your home too – look no further!!!!
Look though the eyes of a Rabbit Eyes
Get down on your hands and knees and look around the house. You don’t need to make squeaking noises or even jump across the floor but look at wires and items they could possibly chew and things that you can hide behind!
Nibble Proof Plants
Many ordinary plants can extremely harmful to rabbits, to be on the safe side hideaway or make sure they are out of reach but be aware of the falling leaves!!!
Carpets beware!!!
Long pile carpets will be chewed and can be dangerous to the rabbit’s digestive system so again restrict the area and keep just too wooden falls. If you house is full of laminate flooring make sure your floor cleaner does not contain any harmful materials such as bleach
Litter Box Training
If neutered, you have a better chance of litter box-trained – a litter box can be packed with hay or with recycled newspaper pellets.